Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s (pic) sky-high poll numbers have slipped as voters question how she intends to pay for her recent tax-cut pledge, according to media surveys.
Her approval rating fell to 67% from 75% in December, falling “below 70% for the first time since she took office last October,” according to a weekend survey by the Nikkei newspaper.
The dip came as Takaichi faced criticism for abruptly calling a snap election for Feb 8, just over a year after the last lower-house election in October 2024 for a four-year term.
Takaichi, the nation’s first woman prime minister, says the election is necessary to see if people support her and her new coalition government.
A possible election win would also allow her to claim a stronger mandate even though her party is battling low approval ratings and a string of scandals.
Among her campaign pledges is to waiver the consumption tax on food for two years, joining opposition promises to cut various taxes, but she has not offered details of how to pay for it.
“But 56% of respondents to the new Nikkei poll said they did not think a zero tax rate on food would be effective against rising prices,” Nikkei said.
A similar weekend poll by the liberal Mainichi Shimbun also showed Takaichi’s approval rating drop to 57% from 67% seen in December.
The Mainichi also said many people were frustrated over the abrupt election, as it slowed down legislative debates on a new government budget before the Japanese fiscal year ends in March.
The latest poll by the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun also said the government’s popularity fell four points to 69%, with many hoping for more economic programmes to deal with soaring prices. — AFP
